You don’t get a perfect Birthday every year, agree? Otherwise there is nothing special in those that really stand out. But sipping on the sweet Chai Latte at the sunny Kitchen Terrace in Rotorua yesterday I noticed a lady next to me reading my article in the new issue of UNO. magazine. Gosh, I was so happy and surprised! And at that moment I knew for sure – my 27th Birthday is definitely the most amazing ever! So I wanted to share that relaxed yet exiting atmosphere of my special day with you today.
Trust me, this year’s Birthday was made to be a memorable one! First of all, never ever yet had I celebrated Birthday in summer. Nice to carry sunscreen instead of furs in a bag for a change:) Secondly, it was my first Birthday outside the home country. Really, somehow I managed to always stay at home this day no matter how often I traveled during the year.
In the morning me and Alex enjoyed an epic walk trough the volcanic valley in Rotorua (don’t miss video on our YouTube channel later today!). It was so beautiful that I was literally about to burst into tears every other minute! I thought after all the places we have seen so far, it would be difficult to impress me THAT much, but Waimangu is truly something out of this world, something you can’t describe, but you just have to see it.
So overwhelmed with all those emotions and gratitude for having an opportunity to see all these amazing beautiful corners of the planet we went to grab lunch in a nice place recently opened in Rotorua – a city 80 kms away from Tauranga and just next to the Waimangu valley.
And, of course, as everything that incredible day, Terrace Kitchen turned to be just a perfect background for my perfect day – light, breathy design, just like I love, lots of cute small details and really easy, comfy vibes. It is a place, where you can have breakfast, lunch or dinner behind the photogenic stone table and than just take a moment to drink coffee or a glass of wine on a beautiful small loan warmed up by a summer sun and special geothermal hitting.
What I especially like in visiting places like that in New Zealand, is that there is no need to be a “special person”, to have lots of money or power to be a welcomed guest. Surprisingly, it would normally be like that in a beautiful cafes in Moscow, where you always do feel a bit awkward and like you didn’t deserve being here. Every guest is super welcomed and appreciated here and they always try to make you feel so. For example, due to my lacto-vegetarian diet, they offered me special salad, that wasn’t mentioned on a menu together with the comfy delicious chips.
Me and Alex really value that moments of just being “a normal human”. When you can eat tons of chips without being judged by your waiter, when you can afford dinner in a restaurant every now and then even being a part-time worker, when you don’t have to prove anyone your right to live the life you do and just enjoy the choices you make without being scared by spoiling someones opinion on you.
After all, our life is so short and runs so quickly, that we simply won’t notice it without those peaceful moments in beautiful cafes! Never underestimate the freedom you actually have in life and be happy.
